The present invention relates to a device for preparing a beverage from a food ingredient provided to the device within a capsule. More particularly, the invention relates to such a device comprising an improved closing mechanism for enclosing the capsule, said closing mechanism comprising means for adjusting its closing force.
Devices for preparing a beverage by injecting pressurized fluid to a capsule are well-known, especially in the field of producing coffee or coffee type beverages. In addition, other substances such as chocolate or milk products can be extracted or dissolved to form a beverage. The advantages of such a system are in particular the conservation and freshness of the ingredients, as well as the possibility of facilitating the operations when preparing the beverage.
The method of preparing the beverages using such a device is in principle as follows. The sealed capsule is usually first inserted into a brewing chamber of the beverage preparation device. After that, a water injecting means, such as a needle connected to the liquid supply of the device and which projects inside the brewing chamber, is introduced through or pierces a face of a capsule to inject a hot or cold liquid, in order to make the liquid interact with the ingredients within the capsule. The liquid beverage resulting from this interaction is then discharged through a delivery face of the capsule. For example, the delivery face opens due to the internal pressure in the capsule generated by injecting the liquid.
It should be understood that the interaction between the liquid and the ingredients within the capsule can be e.g. dissolving, extraction, brewing or any other interaction in order to prepare a beverage by means of ingredients provided within the capsule.
In general, the devices for applying said principle of beverage production are equipped with a closing mechanism in order to enable an enclosure of the capsule within the brewing chamber of the device. Such a closing mechanism usually comprises at least two enclosing members which can be moved relatively to each other and wherein the enclosing members may assume an open insertion position for inserting a capsule into the brewing chamber of the device and a closed injection position for enclosing the capsule within the brewing chamber of the device. In such an embodiment it is desirable to provide a mechanism to adjust the relative position of the two enclosing members in order to influence the closing force acting between the enclosing members when the closing mechanism assumes closed position. This is of particular interest as the closing force may vary during operation and usage of the beverage preparation device. In addition, as the enclosing members are generally made of plastic material, formation or distortion of the enclosing members or the closing mechanism may occur during a long lifecycle of the device such that the closing force of the closing mechanism decreases. Hence, for maintenance purposes as well as for enabling a proper functioning of the closing mechanism during a long lifecycle of the beverage preparation device, a method for adjusting the closing force of a closing mechanism of such a device is sought-after.
Moreover, the component parts of such a device are generally manufactured and assembled automatically in different factories. Hence, during production process a deviation regarding the measures of said component parts may occur which leads to a discrepancy of the closing force when the component parts of the closing mechanism is assembled. Reasons for said deviation of measures could be for example material properties due to different charges or the like. Accordingly, a method or means for adjusting the closing force of the closing mechanism is desirable which enables an adjustment of the closing force in a final step of assembly during production of the device, in particular, to correct the possible deviations of the values of closing force.
The present invention seeks to address the above-described problem, i.e. the varying closure force.